FDD Items 3 & 4 · 2025 filing

Premier Pools & Spas litigation history

What Premier Pools & Spas disclosed about lawsuits, arbitrations and bankruptcy in the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document. Item 3 lists the material legal actions a franchisor must report; Item 4 covers bankruptcy. This is the franchisor's own disclosure, not a court record, and not legal advice.

Items 3 (litigation) & 4 (bankruptcy) at a glance

What the filing discloses

Cases disclosed: 37; Item 3, as counted in the filing

Largest settlement, franchisor's own cases: None stated

Bankruptcy (Item 4): None; Franchisor, parent, predecessor or officer

Filing year: 2025; Disclosures cover the prior ten years

Extracted from the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document

Item 3: litigation

Numerous customer lawsuits (mostly Oklahoma, Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Indiana) alleging franchisees failed to perform pool construction contracts, with claims of breach of contract, fraud, negligence, and state consumer-protection violations; several settled with releases of the franchisor, several pending in discovery/pre-trial. Also includes a 2021 NY Attorney General Assurance of Discontinuance (unregistered franchise sale, $10,000 penalty) and a pending arbitration alleging conspiracy to force a franchisee sale below market price.

Item 3 (litigation) · 37 matters disclosed · 1 pending listed

Litigation cases

The franchisor and its predecessor

Pending (1)

Shan Johnson v. Premier Franchise Management LLC, Paul Porter, Freshwater Pools, LLC, Sandal Pools, LLC, and Michael Ribnikar
pending
Brought by a franchisee · filed 2021-04-23 · American Arbitration Association · 01-21-0003-5561
“… Case No. 01-21-0003-5561, American Arbitration Association, filed April 23, 2021.”Page 16 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “A final arbitration hearing has been rescheduled for December 2025.”

Concluded (3)

James F. Robinson v. Brilliant Pools, Jason Lewis, Premier Pools and Spas, LP, and Does 1 through 125
concluded
Brought by a third party · Premier Pools and Spas, LP (not identified in Item 1; the franchisor is not named in this caption) · filed 2023-03-07 · Superior Court for the County of Riverside, California · CVPS2204382
“… Case No. CVPS2204382, Superior Court for the County of Riverside, California, filed March 7, 2023.”Page 15 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “The case has settled, with no direct liability for us.”
Rick and Heather Hood v. Turnkey Design and Build LLC d/b/a Premier Pools and Spas of Indianapolis; Premier Franchise Management LLC
concluded
Brought by a third party · filed 2023-02-22 · United States District Court, Southern District of Indiana · 1:23-CV-00687
“… Case No. 1:23-CV-00687, Southern District of Indiana federal court, Indiana, filed on February 22, 2023.”Page 17 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “The case settled in July 2023, and we were dismissed with prejudice.”
In the Matter of Investigation by Letitia James, Attorney General of the State of New York of Premier Franchise Management LLC and Paul Porter
concluded
Government or regulatory action · Attorney General of the State of New York, Investor Protection Bureau · AOD # 21-068
“… Attorney General of the State of New York, Investor Protection Bureau, AOD # 21-068, October 2021.”Page 16 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “Finally, we paid to the State of New York the sum of $10,000 in penalties and costs.”

Status not stated in the filing (11)

Brent Jackson v. Poolscapes Florida LLC; Matthew Szafran; Andrea Brannon; Premier Franchise Management LLC
Brought by a third party · filed 2024-05-29 · Circuit Court of the 5th Judicial District, Brevard County, Florida · 199370014
“… Case No.199370014 Circuit Court of the 5th Judicial District, Brevard County, Florida, filed on May 29, 2024.”Page 17 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “The case is scheduled for trial on December 8, 2025.”
James Kaczowski and Deidre Keller v. Poolscapes Florida LLC d/b/a Premier Pools and Spas; Matthew Szafran; Andrea Brannon; Premier Franchise Management LLC
Brought by a third party · filed 2024-04-02 · 5th Judicial District Circuit Court, Lake County, Florida · 195290393
“… Case No.195290393 in the 5th Judicial District Circuit Court, Lake County, Florida, filed on April 2, 2024.”Page 17 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “The case is currently set for trial on October 2, 2025.”
Otto Archive v. Premier Franchise Management LLC
filed 2024-12-19
“… filed December 19, 2024. The plaintiff alleges copyright infringement of photographs displayed in a previous blog listed on our website.”Page 18 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “We filed an answer denying liability. This case is in the discovery phase.”
Chris Harper and The Chris Harper 2021 Revocable Living Trust v. Premier Pools & Spas, Sol Pools, LLC, Premier Pools & Spas, LP, Premier Pools Management Corp. Holdco, and Premier Franchise Management LLC
Brought by a third party · filed 2023-01-31 · District Court of Oklahoma County, Oklahoma · CJ-2022-4000
“… Case No. CJ-2022-4000, District Court of Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, filed January 31, 2023.”Page 15 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “A default judgment was entered against the franchisee and Premier Pools & Spas, LP.” (page 16)
Chris and Ashley Fontenot v. Baird Services LLC d/b/a Premier Pools and Spas; Premier Franchise Management LLC
Brought by a third party · filed 2023-07-06 · 345th Judicial District Court in the 353rd Judicial District, Travis County, Texas · D-1-GN-23-003524
“… Case No. D-1-GN-23-003524, 345th Judicial District Court in the 353rd Judicial District, Travis County, Texas, filed on July 6, 2023.”Page 17 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “The case is in the discovery phase.”
Connie Allbritton v. Premier Pools & Spas, Premier Franchise Management, LLC, John Does 1-3
Brought by a third party · filed 2023-06-09 · District Court of Oklahoma County, Oklahoma · CJ-2023-3232
“… Case No. CJ-2023-3232, District Court of Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, filed June 9, 2023.”Page 11 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Julie Elsbury v. Turnkey Design and Build LLC, Jordan Vanwye, and Premier Franchise Management LLC
Brought by a third party · filed 2023-12-23 · Hamilton Superior Court, Indiana · 29D01-2312-PL-011904
“… Case No. 29D01-2312-PL-011904, Hamilton Superior Court, Indiana, filed December 23, 2023.”Page 16 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “We are currently in the discovery process.”
Lacy Bond v. Sunset Construction, LLC d/b/a Premier Pools and Spas of Wichita Falls, Premier Pools and Spas, LP, Premier Pools Management Corp., and George Walker Berre
Brought by a third party · Premier Pools Management Corp. (PPMC - Item 1 calls it “our affiliate and predecessor”); the franchisor is not yet a defendant · filed 2023-02-15 · District Court, 90th Judicial District of Young County, Texas · 34886
“… Case No. 34886, District Court, 90th Judicial District of Young County, Texas, filed February 15, 2023.”Page 15 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “(We anticipate that the petition will be amended to name us as an additional defendant.)”
Lutfi Dema v. Poolscapes Florida, Inc. d/b/a Pinnacle Pools and Spas; Matthew R. Szafran a/k/a Matthew Ross; Premier Pools Management LLC; Premier Franchise Management LLC
Brought by a third party · filed 2023-09-11 · Circuit Court of the 9th Judicial Circuit, Florida · 2023-CA-015093-O
“… Case No. 2023-CA-015093-O”Page 16 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “We are currently in the discovery process.” (page 17)
Michael & Susan Major v. Premier Pools & Spas, Premier Franchise Management, LLC, and John Does 1-3
Brought by a third party · filed 2023-03-07 · District Court of Oklahoma County, Oklahoma · CJ-2023- 992
“… Case No. CJ-2023- 992, District Court of Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, filed March 7, 2023.”Page 15 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “A default judgment was entered against the franchisee.”
Scott Suratt and Carly Suratt v. Premier Pools & Spas, LP, Premier Franchise Management, LLC, Dealing with Pools, LLC, and Zachary Deal
Brought by a third party · filed 2023-05-19 · 14th Judicial District Court, Parish of Calcasieu, Louisiana · 2023-1889
“… Case No. 2023-1889, 14th Judicial District Court, Parish of Calcasieu, Louisiana, filed May 19, 2023.”Page 12 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3

This list shows 15 of the 37 matters Item 3 discloses; the rest are in the filing.

Item 3 lists the litigation the franchisor must disclose; a matter against a parent, an affiliate or a named officer is not a matter against the franchisor, and pending claims are allegations, not findings.

Disclosure signals that moved the score

How this shows up in the verdict

No bankruptcy/going-concern; audited, Item 19

The verdict grade is FranchiseVerdict's editorial assessment across SBA loan performance, unit growth, revenue and disclosure signals. It is not investment advice.

Before you weigh a lawsuit

How to read Item 3

A franchisor must disclose pending actions and any material civil action involving the franchise relationship, plus convictions or civil judgments for fraud, unfair or deceptive practices, or franchise-law violations, going back ten years. A case the franchisor brought against a franchisee counts too. Item 3 does not include every dispute: settled claims below the materiality line and matters resolved in private arbitration can be absent.

Questions worth asking current and former franchisees, using the contact list in Item 20:

Were you, or anyone you know in the system, party to a dispute with the franchisor?
Was it resolved by settlement, arbitration or a court, and on what terms?
Has the number of disputes gone up or down since you signed?

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